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A norovirus outbreak has raced through the Oxnard-area Rio School District, with about 500 students showing symptoms over the past nine days, according to school and public health officials.

The hold of the highly contagious virus appears to be diminishing, with cases at the outbreak's focal point, Rio Plaza Elementary School, falling to fewer than 10 a day, said John Puglisi, superintendent of the district of more than 5,000 students encompassing El Rio and north Oxnard.

The surge in cases seems contained to the school district, said Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County public health officer. On the other side of the county, at least seven students have also shown symptoms at Oak Park High School, but Levin said there was not enough evidence to show the illnesses are from a norovirus outbreak.

Sometimes called the stomach flu although it is not influenza, the virus can cause inflammation of the stomach, intestines or both. It comes on rapidly and causes symptoms that include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and fever. It's common and can hit cruise ships, assisted-living centers, schools and other places where people congregate.

Norovirus can spread through food, contact with people and contaminated surfaces.

"There is not really any hope in finding the source in a school outbreak like this," Levin said of the Rio School District outbreak.

Symptoms emerged at Rio Plaza School more than a week ago and grew. Suspected cases have been reported at all of the district's eight schools, with most cases at Rio Plaza. Absences surged. Levin praised the district for measures including sending home the siblings of students with symptoms.

Classes have continued across the district, Puglisi said, but some events that he called "discretionary" and that bring outsiders into schools have been canceled.

The district has used its own maintenance staff as well as outside services to sanitize the schools. Letters and phone calls have been used to contact families across the district, Puglisi said.

School kitchens have been inspected and have been deemed not to be the source of the outbreak, the superintendent said. The surge now appears to be on the downswing, he said in an assessment echoed by Levin.

Efforts, including fogging, have also been taken to clean the 1,500-student Oak Park High School, said Principal Kevin Buchanan. He said the school in the unincorporated community in the Conejo Valley has had one confirmed case of norovirus and six students who have shown symptoms in cases that have not been verified.

Levin said public health officials are observing the Oak Park school's situation. He said he hasn't seen evidence of the confirmed case.

"I'm not at all certain that we have something that could be called a norovirus outbreak in Oak Park," he said.

Buchanan said there haven't been any additional students with symptoms in two days.

Symptoms of the virus can emerge from one to three days after contact, Levin said. The symptoms often last less than two days.

"It's extremely common," Levin said of the virus sometimes dubbed the winter vomiting disease. "In any given year, as many as 1 in 15 Americans are expected to get norovirus."